Monday, October 01, 2012

It was a pleasant surprise to see Ume among the list of winners at this year's Good Food Guide Awards. Commensurations to the team at Ume because the food I had on a recent visit was outstanding.

We skipped the signature Scallop Carpaccio for the Kingfish Carpaccio with Red Garlic Miso. The little heat right at the end from the garlic miso really helped to open the palate and didn't take over the lightness of the dish. Perfect start.

The Shiki no Salad was a stunner. This was a last minute addition based on the recommendation of our waiter and certainly turned out to be one of favourite dishes of the meal. The vegetables were sweet and beautifully caramelized from the roasting. The dressing was wonderfully tasty and savoury and creamy dashi custard helped balance the zing from the dressing. It might seem like a simple dish but it's definitely a must-order.

We also had the special of the day - Bangalow Pork Belly Dumplings. This was yet another delicious dish although I would say that it was slightly on the pricey side. The sauce that was drizzled over the dumplings paired really nicely and was extremely addictive.

Amongst all the savoury dishes, the dish - Tako probably wasn't the standout for me. Whilst I appreciate that the octopus was cooked to perfection and was extremely tender, I didn't particularly favour its pairing with the cucumber and daikon.

The last savoury course was the perfect ending before the desserts - Kamo. The generously portioned duck breast was extremely flavourful and had its fat nicely rendered with crispy skin. Whilst R thought that the hen egg miso overpowered the flavour of the duck, I loved the savouriness that it brought to the dish. The simmered chestnuts were sweet and paired extremely well with the saltiness from the other components on the plate.

R is never a fan of desserts with fruit involved but I didn't mind this roast persimmon dessert at all - Kaki. In fact, I did love the rice cream with the roasted and soft (but not mushy) persimmon. Enamoured by the chocolate on his plate, R only left a couple of spoonfuls of the Dark Chocolate 'Terrine' for me to taste. So I reckon he must have really enjoyed it.

If being awarded a hat shortly after opening is not enough to convince you, take it from me. This place is definitely worth a (re)visit.